


Early Night

by EmJ93



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 08:04:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17721326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmJ93/pseuds/EmJ93
Summary: The Watcher has had a long day and just wants to relax. Aloth and Iselmyr tuck her into bed after finding she's dozed off while reading.





	Early Night

It had been a long and busy day.

Between running errands for what felt like every major power in Neketaka throughout the morning and afternoon, and helping her newly recruited crew members to get settled onboard _The Perseverance_ in the evening, Ariela had barely had a minute to herself just to breathe, let alone to engage in anything that might in some way resemble a leisure activity. And so, when night had finally come and Vela had been tucked into bed, marking the end of Ariela’s responsibilities for the day; she had been more than happy retire to her room with a cup of honey-sweetened tea and her favourite book. A little bit of relaxation, she had thought to herself, was exactly what she needed after a full day of Watcher Duties. 

Only two pages into her book, however, she had found her eyes growing tired, and despite her desperate attempts to fight it, the words had begun to blur before her as her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

And  _heavier_.

And-

Ariela was dimly aware of the feeling of movement, her body gently cradled against something warm, as the scent of leather and old parchment surrounded her. She tried to focus her mind, to attempt to make sense of the sensations, but her brain was hazy with sleep, and her eyelids refused to budge even the slightest bit. She nuzzled against the source of warmth instead, giving up on trying to figure anything out, and deciding that she would much rather just return to her slumber. 

Then, all of a sudden, comfort was all around her, as she felt her body lowered carefully onto a familiar soft surface; her bed. Using all of the strength that she could muster, she twisted her body onto its side, snuggling the blankets around her and burying her face in the pillow beneath her head with a happy hum. 

It had been a long and busy day.

–

Aloth hesitantly poked his head around the door to Ariela’s room, having received no response to his knocking. He couldn’t help but feel that it was rude to let himself in without an invitation, though he knew that she had told him on several occasions that he was welcome to treat the space as if it was as much his own as it was hers, but it was quite unlike Ariela to ignore someone at her door, particularly when he had told her that he would call by once he had finished going over some research notes, and he had to admit to being a tiny bit concerned.

As he moved into the room, he quickly located his lover; curled up amongst a pile of cushions on the floor, a half emptied cup of tea beside her, her head resting on an open novel as her soft breathing filled the air. 

He smiled fondly as he grew closer to her, gently reaching out to brush the loose strands of hair back from her face, and relishing in the serene smile that spread across her lips as his fingertips brushed across her cheek. 

_Aw, yer lass is lookin’ right bonny_.

For once, Iselmyr’s voice echoed his own thoughts, and he nodded in agreement as he carefully attempted to remove the book from beneath Ariela without waking her, retrieving the bookmark from where she had it tucked into the back cover and marking her page. He examined the spine with a dubious expression, concerned that she may have damaged it by making her novel into a makeshift pillow, until he felt his hands setting the book down against his will, and reaching out instead to lift Ariela from her position on the floor.

Iselmyr cradled Ariela against his body, moving in the direction of the bed across the room, scolding the sleeping Watcher the whole way. “Fye, yer even worse than the Lad! Ye cannae just go sleeping on the floor!" 

Ordinarily, Aloth would have objected to Iselmyr’s intrusion, never having been entirely comfortable with her making decisions for him, or puppeteering his body whenever she saw saw fit, but as he noted how much more subdued her voice was than usual, as if she were making sure not to actually disturb Ariela’s sleep with her grumbling, he decided to let it go.  _This time_. Ariela was being escorted to bed, and that was the important thing. Whether it was he or Iselmyr who was carrying her was irrelevant, he supposed.

"The pair of ye need tae spend less time with yer books an’ more time looking after yoursel’s!”

Setting Ariela carefully onto her bed, Iselmyr relinquished control and Aloth pushed both her and her complaints to the back of his mind for the time being, instead choosing to observe his lover. Ariela let out a happy hum, wrapping herself up in her blankets, still fast asleep from what he could tell and he let out a relieved sigh that her rest had not been disturbed.  Leaning over her, he pressed a gentle kiss against her hair, soft smile still playing on his face. 

“Sleep well, Ari." 


End file.
